Left to you

Chapter 31- Late Evening Liason

Draco stood on the platform and breathed in the scent of gasoline in the air. The humidity, the bright lights, and the people rushing by. He breathed this all in, and somehow he could not breathe deep enough. He couldn't believe the holidays were over already. Draco had spent so much time with Hermione, feeling free for once in his life, actually living. And now he was being sent back. To where he had emerged from. The place where his childhood was decided for him. The place where Hermione's choice was taken away. The place that had once- held hope for him. And now, this hope was shrouded in fog. The fog that questioned: what now? Hogwarts. Draco took another deep breath. His ears listened to the loudness. The excitement in the air tingled on his tongue. His hands gripped the rough plastic handle of the trolley.

"Malfoy?"

There she was. Hermione sat on top of her battered suitcase, which was sitting on the trolley he was pushing along the platform. She leant forward to cup his face, the wisps of her hair gently touching his face. There she was. She was here.

"The train's coming soon, so you better quit-" She leant away from him and gestured to what he assumed was his strange facial expression, "Whatever you're doing."

He leant in, but she held out a hand to hold him back.

"Just one little kiss, no one will see." He uttered.

She gave him a sceptical look, but soon her cheeks blushed softly and she nodded. He moved closer to her again, but right before their lips touched, she turned her face so that his lips touched her cheek. An enormous smile spread across her face, although she did not turn back to face him.

"You little..." He let out a huge sigh of annoyance. "Just you wait when we get back to the dorm, I swear to god-"

"Shhhh!!" Hermione covered his mouth with one delicate hand and with the other pointed where she had turned to face.

Draco followed the direction of her finger to see his mother in a great big black cloak, shoving her way through the bustling crowd, holding a large plastic cage. She was being jostled to and fro by the other commuters, but that didn't deter her, as she continued to charge on.

As she came to meet them, she thrust the cage forward. Amongst the blankets strewn inside the cage, a white cat laid asleep, perfectly oblivious to what was going on.

"You guys nearly forgot Corvus!" Narcissa carefully placed the cat in Hermione's arms and drew back with a tired smile.

"Thanks, mum," Draco said, leaving the trolley to give her a quick kiss and hug goodbye.

She checked her watch, her eyes widened, and she began pushing them towards platform nine and three-quarters like she was a steam train.

"The trains coming any minute now!" She continued pushing and closer to the barrier. "Bye! Love you guys! Travel safe!"

And with that, they rolled through the barrier and she was gone. Draco, now having gone through the barrier, rolled the trolley over to the Hogwarts Express. As he walked closer to the train, he looked up and watched as great amounts of steam billowed from its chimney.

Draco stopped the trolley and graciously offered a hand out to Hermione, which she took as she hopped off her luggage with the cat carrier in the other hand.

"How very kind of you Draco," Hermione said, still holding his hand as they stared at the train.

"All in a day's work." He tipped his imaginary hat, making her giggle.